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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27254893">Out in the Cold</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EyesOfHorus82/pseuds/EyesOfHorus82'>EyesOfHorus82</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>You and Me against the Galaxy [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Mandalorian (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adorable Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV), Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Din Djarin Whump, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Sick Character, Sickfic, Soft Din Djarin, Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 00:48:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,878</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27254893</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EyesOfHorus82/pseuds/EyesOfHorus82</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'm so sorry I brought you into this…" Din mumbled to himself and wrapped his cape tighter around his and the kids body. But he knew he couldn't have left him alone in the crashed wreckage of the Razor Crest.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>You and Me against the Galaxy [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2017307</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>276</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was cold, just freezing cold. A snowstorm had forced them to hide inside a cave. Quickly Din used the snow to block the entrance, keeping the freezing death outside. The Child watched him, shivering wrapping his arm around his small body to keep himself warm. </p><p> </p><p>After Din was finished, he leaned against the ice on the wall, he was panting because he had to hurry before all of the snow got inside the cave. Actually he was sweating underneath his armor and lifted his cowl, getting some refreshing air under his clothes. "Seems like we're stuck here for a while." he said but he instantly noticed the child's trembling from the cold. </p><p> </p><p>The mandalorian picked him up and put him on his lap, the little one instantly snuggled up to him, trying to pick up any warmth from Din's body. Unfortunately he was covered in armor, cold armor. "Wait, I'm gonna try something…" he said and started fumbling on his chest pate. What no one knew, he had a temporary heating/ cooling system built underneath the beskar plate on his chest to help him regulate his body temperature. Sometimes it was tough to wear the armor in hot or cold surroundings, so he was able to compensate even if only for a limited time. </p><p> </p><p>Din flipped the plate over to his left side and opened his flight suit. He instantly shivered when the cold grazed his skin. Quickly, he stuffed the child inside his suit so he would have direct skin contact to warm himself. Carefully Din pulled the zipper up again to close as far up as possible. When the kid shifted into a comfortable position underneath his clothes, he flipped the chestplate back to sandwich the kid between the heater and his warm bare chest. </p><p> </p><p>A few minutes after he had turned up the heating system, he felt the kid relaxing, his chubby cheek nuzzling on his skin and a small hand kneading unwittingly. "It's alright, Kid. I've got you." the mandalorian said softly, rubbing the cold tips of the Kid's ear to warm them up again. The little one let out a satisfied coo almost a purr as his eyes grew heavier, with every heartbeat he heard underneath Din's skin. </p><p> </p><p>"Shh, try to sleep a bit" he reassured the kid and wrapped his cape and arms around the kid but trying to keep himself warm as well. But since he was literally sitting on ice and leaning on ice, he felt the cold creeping into his limbs. Din's chest and stomach were cozyly being warmed by the child and the heating system but the rest of his body partly was getting a little<br/>
numb from the piercing cold. But the mandalorian tried to distract himself by listening to the low and relaxed snoring of the child. </p><p> </p><p>Din sighed deeply and tried to slow his breathing so the kid won't be disturbed in his sleep. But soon he felt his own eyes growing heavy, so he rested his helmeted head against the wall behind him and dozed off. Three hours later, Din awoke shivering but the storm still was audibly raging outside. The heating system now was off and the cold crept in every cell of his body. Fortunately, the kid was still asleep and still warm. </p><p> </p><p>"I'm so sorry I brought you into this…" Din mumbled to himself and wrapped his cape tighter around his and the kids body. But he knew he couldn't have left him alone in the crashed wreckage of the Razor Crest. He didn't know much about this planet, nor if it had population or any kind of civilization. </p><p> </p><p>Suddenly the small warm spot on his chest began to move and two big, weary eyes glanced from under his clothes at him. When he noticed the warmth from the heater was gone, he pressed himself even harder on Din's skin. Slowly the mandalorian rubbed the kids back to make him more comfortable. "Try to sleep again, we still have to wait for the storm to settle." Din said and pulled the kid closer. His hands started to tremble and he felt like his insides were starting to freeze too. </p><p> </p><p>It felt like a cold metal band was embracing his chest, getting tighter the longer he sat here in the cold. His lungs felt heavy and sometimes he noticed a sting when he drew in a breath. But this all didn't matter because he was constantly worrying about what would happen if his body would no longer be able to provide the kid with the warmth he needed. He would be so mad at himself if the little one got sick, because he already had heard him coughing sometimes. </p><p> </p><p>The kid yawned and watched his protector, who suddenly drifted off to sleep again. Nuzzling back on his chest again, the kid noticed Din's heart rate had increased and his breathing sounded more strained. Worried, he tried to get back to sleep and he hoped his clan mate was going to be okay.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The child fell asleep again, in the middle of the night, he jerked awake as his father's body just slipped on his back in his sleep. The kid figured he normally would have woken up from this, but Din still was fast asleep. The little one snuggled back on him but not without feeling his body temperature had rosen. His floppy ear, which covered Din's chest, picked up some more labored breaths. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>In the early morning hours, the storm finally settled and Din woke up, shivering. He felt like he didn’t sleep at all and despite the cold ground, he was lying on, he didn’t want to get up. The kid still slept, curled up on his chest and snoring like a full grown mudhorn. The mandalorian smiled underneath his helmet, but suddenly, he heard the kid cooing at him. “Good, morning….” were the only words, he managed to say before he got into a major coughing fit. The child fell off his chest as Din curled to his side. He pulled his helmet from his head and held his hand in front of his mouth. But there was not only a cough, his lungs hurt like they would have been impaled by a dagger. Quickly, the little one rushed to his side and patted his belly to comfort. But after the coughing fit, Din just laid on his side, pressing his hand on his chest and trying to get some air into his lungs again. With his eyes scrunched shut, he gasped for more oxygen. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The child moved closer to his face. He didn’t see him often without his helmet, but the little one could not remember he had ever looked this pale. Beads of sweat rolled down his face and neck and he tried to pull himself together again, when he noticed the kid was standing in front of his face. He didn’t want to scare him. “It’s alright, kid. I’m alright. We better get back to the Razor Crest now.” Din croaked with the little bit of voice, which was left. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>After he had forced his body to sit up, the kid pulled on his sleeve, his worried eyes were piercing him. "Hey, I just got a little cold. When we're back, I'll go to sleep, I promise." Din reassured and patted him on the back. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Quickly, he fumbled his chest pate back in place and put his helmet on again. But when he tried to get up, Din instantly wavered and had to brace against the wall. “Slowly, Djarin.” he mumbled to himself. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The kid looked at him with lowered ears. “Don’t worry, as soon as we get back to the ship, I’m gonna rest. I promise.” he reassured the kid again and picked him up. But first he had to unblock the entrance from the snow again, which was quite physically exhausting and in Din’s condition now it felt like an impossible task. After a while he finally managed to dig through the frozen snow and the cold wind instantly made him shivering again. Din gasped for air and his lungs felt like someone had wrung them out. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The kid patted his shin while he propped himself on the rocks, grasping his aching chest and trying to catch his breath. “It’s just a cold, nothing more.” he croaked, trying to sound as convincing as possible. Especially for himself. The kid tilted his head and his coos sounded worried. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Din finally got his shortness of breath under control, he picked up the child again and went ahead. The freezing cold air burned in the mandalorians lungs like someone had spread acid on them. The kid started to freeze too and snuggled into the crook of Dins arm. "We're almost there…" hehe mumbled as he felt his boy shivering again. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It took two hours for them to get back to the wreckage, where they had started this, in Din's eyes now, completely unnecessary expedition to find civilization. He wanted to find parts for his damaged ship. But he just got his kid into danger of a freezing death and he got sick himself. From time to time he had to make a break from walking, trying to avoid collapsing from dizziness. Din forced himself to stay conscious, because he knew it would be the baby's certain death if he would pass out here in the frozen desert. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally, the Razor Crest came into view, the mandalorian let out a deep sigh, which caused him to cough violently again. Exhausted he dropped on his knees and pressed his hand on his chest again. The feeling of burning acid grew more and more and almost cut off his breathing. "K-Kid, go inside the ship." he panted and pointed his finger at the broken ramp. But the child stayed, waiting for Din to get well enough to get up again and comfortingly rubbing his arm. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Five minutes later, Din felt a little better and finally dragged himself and the kid into the damaged ship. Fortunately the lower part was pretty much intact, so they were able to lock themselves into it. What they did, Mando engaged ground safety protocols and turned up the heat systems. Then he had one of the rare moments of being glad to finally take his helmet off, followed by the rest of his armor. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He pulled out his old medscanner and waved it over his chest, just to figure out what he had already suspected. Pneumonia. Not potentially fatal but dangerous, because he had no meds to treat it. The kid gave him another worried glance, because the mandalorian looked like death himself. His skin was ghostly pale, what contributed the deep and dark shadows underneath his eyes. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Exhausted he sat down with the kid, pulled his gloves off and rubbed the cold, small hands with his thumbs to warm them up again. "I'm so sorry for putting you into danger…." Din mumbled, feeling dizziness taking over him again. The kid immediately noticed something was wrong, when Din suddenly pulled his fingers from the child's hands and pressed them on his ribs again, falling to his side. With his eyes scrunched shut, he gasped for air. He didn't notice the kid quickly rushed to his bunk to fetch Mando's blanket and, when he came back, using his powers to cover Din with it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well this chapter turned out fluffier as I actually wanted  it to be. Anyway enjoy 😅</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Din had never felt so miserable in his life, he felt weak and fragile. But the way the kid was caring for him just warmed his heart. The little one sadly watched his buir shivering on the floor. He felt so sorry for him. "You're a sweetheart…" Din mumbled and booped the Kid's nose, what elicited a smile from him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The baby waddled to Mandos head and snuggled onto him and stroked his protector's dark hair. They fell asleep for a few hours, but when the kid woke up again, he was hungry like a wookie. But he didn't want to wake his buir to cook him some food, so he waddled to the fridge and tried to grab something to eat. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But everything edible was out of his reach and he let out a sad coo, while rubbing his hungry stomach. When Din woke up, he was blinded by the bright light of the opened fridge. "What are you….? Oh no, you are hungry, aren't you? “ the mandalorian croaked with the last bit of his voice and peeled the blanket from his body to get up. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Din pulled himself up on the wall and the kid rushed at him, trying to 'help' by holding his boot steady. Mando smiled weakly and picked him up. "I'm gonna get you something to eat and then we'll get some sleep, sounds like a plan?" </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The kid smiled and leaned onto Din's side. After twenty minutes, Mando put a bowl of soup on the table and the kid on his seat. Din took some bread and ripped off small pieces from it, putting it on the child's plate."Enjoy your dinner…" Mando said, watching the kid eating his soup. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The little one was so hungry but when he saw Mando propping his head with hands, he took some of the bread and reached it to him. Din smiled and took it gratefully. But that was the only thing he was able to eat. His head pounded and he felt like he was burning alive and being back inside the cold cave at the same time. And his circulation was a constant roller coaster. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>After the kid was finished, Din prepared himself for the night. But as he brushed his teeth another coughing fit swept over him which made him bracing on the sink. He noticed some blood sprinkles in his phlegm. "Shit.." he cussed and washed his mouth. Panting he dropped on his bed and the kid rushed at his side instantly snuggling up to him. Just cuddling his buir until Din fell asleep. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Two days passed and Mando didn't get any better, he was barely able to prepare food for the kid and slept most of the time. He felt terrible for not being able to take care of the kid properly. On the other hand, the child cared for him like a little nurse and tried to help Mando whenever he could. When Din was sleeping he watched over him, covering him with his blanket, rubbing his chest when it hurt from coughing and cuddling him for comfort. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"You're the most caring creature I've ever met…. It's an honor to call you my Ad'ika." Din whispered with a weak smile, but his honesty worried the kid. Is he dying and he wanted him to know? Tenderly, Din caressed the Kid's cheek until his arm went limp and he was asleep again. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The boy was getting a little desperate because he basically wasn't getting any better in days now. The pneumonia raged through his body and the constant high fever drained most of his energy. Fluid had already filled his lungs, what made it even harder for him to breathe. Din knew he had to get medicine but he didn't even have the strength to get up for longer than fifteen minutes. But one afternoon, it knocked on the ship's door. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Hello, anyone in there?" the kid heard a male voice from outside and he tried to wake Din up. But the mandalorian was fast asleep. The little one cooed loudly, but the stranger couldn't hear it from outside. Suddenly the door slowly opened and the kid fetched Din's helmet and pulled it over his head with his force powers. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally, Mando woke up from this and he instantly noticed someone was in the Crest. As fast as his strength let him, he grabbed his blaster and aimed at the stranger, who was looking around. "Turn around…." Din gasped, but when he saw the others face his breath was cut off. In front of him there stood an Ugnaught, looking like Kuuil's twin.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the wait, but work really stressed me out this week. Hope you enjoy the next chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hey, please lower your blaster,” the Ugnaught said, calming and raised his arms. He noticed the mandalorian wasn't feeling well because of his stance and his hard panting. “Are you alright?” the stranger quested and tilted his head. But before Din could answer, the blaster slipped from his hands and fell down on the floor. Losing his balance from dizziness, Mando collapsed right in front of him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>With a loud squeak, the kid rushed from the bunk at Din and stood in front of his shivering form, spreading his arms to protect him from the Ugnaught. With a low chuckle, the stranger bent down to the Child and smiled at him. “I’m not going to harm you, I was just curious, who crashed here and I wanted to help. No need to protect him from me.” he said reassuring, but the little one stood his ground. He won’t let anything happen to his buir. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mandalorian, you have a quite charming protector here, but I’m no threat to you.” he said, but Din didn’t reply, he was just shivering and pressing his hand on his aching chest. Now, the Ugnaught realized the seriousness of this situation. Again, he bent down to the child. “Listen, your father seems to be very sick. I want to help you, but you have to let me get to him. You need to trust me.” he said, carefully putting his hand on the little one’s shoulder, who eventually lowered his arms.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s fine, now let me take a look at him.” he said and knelt down beside the mandalorian, who was barely conscious anymore. “Hey, what’s your name?” the stranger asked, but suddenly he had a blaster aiming at his head. “G-Get out of here. L-Leave my ship.” Din stammered and got into the next coughing fit and the blaster fell on the ground again. Gently, the Ugnaught patted his back, feeling the feverish heat radiating from Din’s body. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You are seriously sick, Mando. I can help you. Looks like you have a child to take care of and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want his father to be dead.” the stranger said, his voice becoming more stern. When the little one heard these words, he felt a sting in his stomach. Quickly, he rushed at Din’s side, stroking his helmet and pointing at the Ugnaught. He wanted him to trust the other. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“F-Fine…” Din mumbled weakly, while he tried to catch his breath again. “See? It ain’t that hard. My name is Marlon and I’m a scientist, doing some research on this planet. Not as a profession anymore, more like a passion to keep me busy in my retirement.” Marlon explained, while he slipped his arms under Din’s shoulders to help him sit up. The kid watched him closely, but he clearly felt no danger from this creature. Carefully, he leaned Din against the wall of his ship, grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around his shivering body. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’ve got quite a fever. Do you have any medicine?” Marlon asked and looked around. “N-No….” Din whispered, feeling his body demanded sleep again and the chills draining all of his energy. The kid noticed his struggle and pressed himself on his side, trying to provide at least a little warmth. “Okay, then I have no choice than to take you to my base, there’s a small med bay. I’m not a doctor, but I have some experience and I have a medical droid. Come on, let’s get you to my speeder.” the Ugnaught said and helped Din up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mando felt his circulation was going crazy by the sudden movement and it took awhile for him to get rid of the dizziness. Slowly, the three made their way out of the wreckage and to the speeder, which was parked right beside the Razor Crest. When Marlon started the engines, Din finally lost consciousness. The kid noticed it immediately and gently shook him, but Din didn’t stir. “Don’t worry, little guy. We’re almost there.” he said but in a now worried tone. He switched on the comms “Hey MD I’m back in a few minutes and I have company. Prepare the med bay and then come to the hangar. I have a very sick Mandalorian and a child with me.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It took them about 10 minutes to arrive. The base was an abandoned rebel base and completely hidden inside a cave. The speeder gradually became slower and suddenly stopped. The door closed behind them to keep the cold outside. Nervously, the child looked around and saw a MD-5 droid approaching them. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Welcome back, master. Is this the Mandaloiran you were talking about?” it’s mechanical voice asked and it’s hand pointed at Din. “Yes, indeed. But I think you’re gonna need to carry him. He passed out on the way back here.” Marlon explained, while the droid took a closer look. “Is he injured?” the droid asked and looked up. “No, according to his coughing, shortness of breath and incredibly high fever and chills I assume it’s a quite nasty case of pneumonia.” the Ugnaught stated and the droid lifted Din from the speeder with no effort. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cradling the sleeping mandalorian he walked out of the hangar, Marlon and the child hot on it’s heels. When they arrived in the med bay, the droid put Din down on the examination table and turned on the lights. “Alright, I’m gonna take a quick medscan, then I can clearly point out what we are dealing with.” the droid said and activated his sensors. Marlon went to a nearby cot, grabbed a blanket and tucked Din in. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>After a few minutes, MD finished his medical protocol. “Okay, what’s the diagnosis?” Marlon asked and the droid lowered his head, which was not a very encouraging sign. “Well, you were right. He is suffering from a severe case of pneumonia. But since he was not treating it at all, his lungs are already filled with quite an amount of fluid. His body is drained from the fever and his heart rate and blood pressure ain’t looking great either.” the droid stated, the kid didn’t understand particularly what it said , but he instantly dipped his ears by hearing the bad news.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“And the prognosis? Treatment?” Marlon asked and took a look at Mando himself. He felt so sorry for him, being sick and stranded in an ice desert and having a child to take care of. “Well, he’s going to need high dosed antibiotics and strict rest. Hopefully, it will be enough, the other ways to treat him are not the most pleasant experiences he’s gonna have. We’ll see how he reacts to the antibiotics and if it gets worse, I’m going to have to drain the fluid from his lungs surgically.” the droid said and prepared an IV port and the medicine.  </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Worried, the kid looked at Marlon, who pulled the glove from Din’s left hand. “Oh, looks like he isn’t the biological father of this little fellow.” the droid said as it grabbed the mandalorians hand to push the needle into his veins. “Blood does not always make a family. Mandalorians are known for the care of their foundlings. They treat and train them as one of their kind and adopt them into their family. And it’s clearly the case we have here, right?” The Ugnaught concluded and patted the kids fuzzy head. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The kid chirped back happily and nuzzled onto Din’s side. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure he loves you too. But what about, you take care of him now, while he’s sleeping and make sure he’s warm and cozy until he feels better? Would you do that?” Marlon asked the kid and the little green fellow nodded. “There you go..” the Ugnaught said and brought another blanket for Din. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I hope the antibiotics are working, let’s wait until tomorrow morning and then we’ll see how to continue.” the droid said and left the med bay. “Alright, take care of you dad, little one. We’ll be there if anything unexpected happens. Good night.” Marlon said and left as well. Now, Din and the child were alone again and the little one was busy smoothing out the blanket. With a loud groan, the mandalorian woke up suddenly, raising his arm and taking a look at the IV port on his hand, he was a little disoriented at first.“Kid? Where are you? Are you okay?” he whispered, even speaking seemed to drain him now and his head felt mushy. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Quickly, the kid rushed to his helmet and pressed his hands against the visor. “There you are. “Seems like, these two here are really nice guys. You were right to trust them, I shouldn’t have doubted your judge of characters.” Din whispered and patted the kid on his head. The little one leaned into the touch and snuggled on his helmet, pulling on the edges to slip it off Din’s head. “Sorry, can’t take it off now, we are not alone here, Kid.” he said and put his arm to his side again. He felt too weak to lift it again. Din turned to his side to face the kid better. The little one sat down and nuzzled on the mandalorians neck, curling up to the warmth of his body. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He smiled underneath his helmet and as far as his strength allowed him to, he rolled on his back again, pulling the kid on his chest and wrapped his arms around him, holding him directly over his heart. Din knew, the kid was afraid to lose him and he wanted to do everything to make him feel better again. The kid relaxed to the steady rise and fall of Din’s chest and closed his eyes, but when he heard the rattling in his lungs and the feverish heat, which was radiating from him, concern gnawed on his stomach. He had never heard that before. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Din fell asleep again but the kid couldn’t. Slowly, he slipped on his side again and pulled the blanket up to the mandalorian’s neck to make sure he’s warm. When he tucked him in, the kid noticed, Din’s breathing picked up pace and was getting more shallow. He heard low groans from underneath his helmet and tried to wake him by patting on his shoulder. The kid knew, something was wrong. Din realized that lying on his back made him having trouble breathing, so he turned to his side. “Kid, d-don’t worry….” he gasped, but the little one worried even more. Another coughing fit swept over him and Din was forced to lift his helmet a little to cover his mouth with his hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His lungs screamed in pain and little sprinkles of blood came with his coughing. His body writhed until the fit was over, leaving him panting and gasping. But Din noticed, his lungs weren’t able to fully expand anymore and panic grew inside of him. He grasped the collar of his shirt, like it would be the reason for his trouble. Trying to suck in a breath, he panicked more and more as he realized he couldn’t, he felt like he was drowning and pressure started to build inside his chest. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I-I can’t breathe…” were the last words, the kid heard from him as consciousness slipped away. Tears streamed down on the child’s face as his little hands hammered on Din’s chest to wake him up again. He felt the insanely rapid heartbeat underneath his skin and the desperate attempts of drawing in some breaths. The kid cried and screamed for help in his way, which was fortunately heard by MD and Marlon.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"What happened?“ the Ugnaught asked and tried to calm Din, who was still struggling to breathe. The kid was bawling desperately. MD pulled out a stethoscope and pressed the cold end on Din's heaving chest. "Turn him on his back, he needs to be ventilated." the Droid stated wryly and pulled a mobile drawer closer to the bed. It grabbed the edge of Din's helmet, ready to pull it off. "Stop, never remove a Mandalorian's helmet!" Marlon said and grabbed its metal arm.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In the meantime Din went limp and was barely breathing. "Alright, if that's the case, I have no other choice…." the Droid mumbled and pulled out a scalpel from the drawer. "What are you doing?" Marlon wondered and picked the weeping child from the bed, but the little one instantly tried to break free from his grip. Under no circumstances, he would leave Din's side now. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>MD had no time for explanation, he used an iodine swap to sterilize a small area on Din's throat and made a small cut into his skin and trachea. Quickly, the Droid fetched a small tube and pushed it through the incision and fixed it in place with a band around the mandalorians neck. After it was finished, MD attached a bag on the other end of the tube and finally started to pump air into Din's weak lungs. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The kid was scared, watching his buir getting his throat cut open and a plastic tube protruding from his neck, it looked so alien to him. Still he stretched his short arms to reach him. "No, little one. Your father is in some serious condition, he needs to be stabilized first." Marlon said, comfortingly rubbing the kids back. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"What are we going to do now?“ he asked his Droid, who hooked Din up to a ventilator. Carefully he lifted his shirt to apply some electrodes and wires on his chest, to monitor his vitals. The kid startled by the sight of how emaciated Din has gotten after these days. "He's safe for now, I'm gonna give him a sedative and tomorrow and he's getting a chest x-ray to take a closer look at the amount of fluid in his lungs. The antibiotics need some time to take effect on him too, that's why I can't do it now." it said and pulled Din's shirt down again. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now that the panic was over, the kid felt exhaustion tugging at him."You're gonna stay with him?“ Marlon asked and put the boy on Din's bed again. Slowly he approached Mandos prone form, irritated by the mechanical rise and fall of his chest."Sleep boy, you are tired. You can't do anything but to be with him right now. I'm sure he can sense your presence. Good night." the Ugnaught said and left the med bay along with MD again. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The kid was scared seeing his buir so fragile and defenseless. His hand was pretty cold when he touched it and Din showed no reaction at all. Carefully, the baby climbed on his stomach paying extra attention not to tangle any lines or wires. Exhausted, he laid down on him, the sounds of the heart monitor and the clicking of the ventilator constantly reminded him of Mandos miserable condition. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sobbing, the little one buried his face on Din's belly, desperately grabbing and tugging on his shirt. He didn't stir, not even when the kid's tears left two wet spots on the fabric. Since Din had come into his life, the kid never felt so lonely and scared like right now. The boy cried himself to sleep, begging the force for waking up with Din being still alive.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The kid barely slept that night, he was just too afraid. But in the early morning hours, he finally found some rest. A few hours later, he felt Din slightly moving, suddenly he felt the mandalorians hand on his back, rubbing small circles. Din still tried to soothe the kid although he felt like death himself with a tube down his throat. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The kid rubbed his tired eyes and climbed up to Din’s chest, cautiously not to touch the lines. His ears dropped as he heard the muffled, almost silent groans from his clan mate. Gently, the kid nudged his helmet with his head, slightly cooing at him. Din was glad he had his helmet on because tears started to brim his eyes. The more his senses returned to him, the more uncomfortable he became with the tube. Unintentionally he tried to breathe but the machine, which pushed air into his lungs, cut him off. Panic rose within him and the invisible weight on his chest was getting heavier. Suddenly the door opened and Marlon and his droid entered the room. MD went straight to the machines beside Din’s bed and took some notes. “How is he today?” Marlon asked and picked the child from Mando’s chest. The little one squeaked in frustration, but he wasn’t strong enough to escape the Ugnaughts grip. “Easy little guy. Let MD treat your father and then you can get back to him.” he explained to the kid. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I need you to leave the room for a moment so I can take the chest x ray. His vitals are better than yesterday, but I suppose the fluid in his lungs is not reducing on its own.” the Droid stated in his mechanical voice and the Ugnaught nodded silently. The kid squeaked and tried to wiggle out his grasp again as they left the room. “Just be patient, little one.” Marlon said, trying to soothe him. “You are very attached to him,aren't you?” he added and looked into the little one’s big eyes. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mandalorian, I need to remove the tube and your helmet for the x-ray. I hope that’s okay if I do it, since I’m not a living thing.” MD explained and worked on his neck and carefully pulled it out. Din nodded silently but when he felt the plastic tube was pulled out, he withered by the uncomfortable sensation. With a few stitches, the droid sewed the hole in Mando’s throat and he finally was able to speak again, but he felt too exhausted to. After the procedure was done, the droid grabbed the edges on his helmet and carefully pulled it off, while it’s other hand propped Din’s head. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Actually Mando felt relief when he felt the fresh air on his face. The droid studied him for a moment. “T-Thanks for … your help.” Din whispered and leaned back, heavily panting again. “At your service, Mandalorian. It would have been better if my master had found you a few days earlier. I have to be honest, your condition is very serious. I need to drain the fluid on your lungs later on. But it seems your fever is a little lower than yesterday.” the droid said and prepared for the x-ray by fetching a device, which he attached to his ‘eyes’. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Don’t move…” the droid said as it ran the scan. Din took a shaky, deep breath and tried to relax. A few minutes later, the MD was ready to share the results. “There’s plenty of fluid in your lungs and I don’t have any choice but to drain it. The good news is, the antibiotics seem to be working and your lung’s volume has increased again. I’m trying to suck the fluid out with a syringe, so you don't need a temporary tube inside your chest. It’s less stressful for your body either.” it explained and helped Din sitting up. A sudden dizziness swept over him and he almost passed out again. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Wait…” MD said and injected him something to his shoulder. “This should stabilize your blood pressure to reduce your dizziness.” Din tried to focus on his breathing but it was hard, so the droid gave him an oxygen mask. After that, he helped Mando taking off his shirt and used an iodine swap to sterilize the incision area on his exposed back. The droid positioned itself behind Din and grabbed a syringe with a long thick needle from the drawer beside it. “Are you ready?” it asked. “Yes..” Din rasped back and prepared for the worst. And it was indeed very uncomfortable. When the droid inserted the needle into his back, it felt Din’s muscles were tensing up. “Relax…” MD said, while it pulled back the plunger and a lot of reddish fluid filled the clear syringe. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Din felt an intense pressure in his chest almost like his organs were trying to reject the needle, but he knew, he had to hold on. After the first round, MD emptied the syringe and turned to Mando’s back again. “We need to do this a few more times.” the droid said and pushed the needle back in. The pain was getting more intense and a sudden alarm of the heart monitor went off as Din’s heart rate increased. “Please try to relax, I’m almost done” the droid said and Mando knew, if it was human it would be stressed out. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The last round of pulling the plunger back, it was filled with almost pure blood. “Okay, that’s it for now. I’m going to take the fluid to check it in the lab.” MD said and Din tried to take a deep breath and it was easier than before. “How are you feeling?” the droid asked and helped him lie back down again. “Better, thank you.” Din replied weakly and closed his eyes. “I know, you’re supposed to leave your helmet on, but I suggest you leave the oxygen mask on for a couple of hours. I don’t want to have you to intubate you again. Marlon can take care of the kid and I’m getting you medication to inhale through the mask.” MD explained the further treatment plan. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“The kid can see me, he’s my clan mate.” Din said and MD nodded. “Okay Mandalorian, I’m going to fetch him for you.” it said and went through the door. Mando leaned back on his pillow, he was exhausted and his eyelids grew heavy again. He heard an excited coo as the droid came back with his foundling again. It placed him on Din’s side, but the kid was cautious. “Hey, there little one…” Mando said and patted him on his head. The kid cooed cheerfully and waddled to his head. Gently, the little one nudged his head against Din’s and placed a smooch on his stubbly cheek.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Now it's time for a little more action, enjoy 😉</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Both fell asleep again. A few hours later, Din woke up and yawned loudly. He was still a little dazed but he realized that breathing was a lot easier now. Slowly, he sat up and rubbed his eyes, suddenly noticing, the kid had grabbed his arm and watched him intensely. “Mah?” he cooed and tilted his little head. “I’m feeling better, kid.” Din said and gave him a slight smile. The little one tilted his head to his other side, like he was going to say ‘really’? But Mando understood.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes, kid I’m feeling better. The meds are finally working, I suppose.” he yawned again and ran his hand through his dark hair, fluffing it up. The child still gave him a sceptic look and started to coo again as Din swung his legs over the bed’s edge. He put his helmet back on, grabbed the IV stand and slowly tried to get up. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When his feet touched the ground, he expected another massive wave of dizziness, but this time, it wasn’t too bad. The medication for his blood pressure still seemed to work. The kid squealed in panic and reached for his arm. “Gonna be right back, kid.” Din mumbled and took a cautious step ahead. Still the kid tried to grab hold of Mandos arm, trying to pull him back. Din sighed and chuckled. “Listen, I just gotta pee. I’m gonna be right back, kid. Don’t worry.” he said softly and gave the wrinkled, fuzzy head a little pat. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The kid watched him walking out of the med bay and with a loud yawn, he fell back onto the still warm sheets. He smiled, happy about his buir’s slow but steady recovery. The little one closed his eyes and dozed off again, catching up the missed sleep from the night before. But not for long. Something ripped him from his slumber again. A loud noise.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cooing, he cracked his eyes open again and looked around. Din still has not returned to him and a gnawing feeling spread in his stomach. He watched the door for a few minutes until he decided to take a look himself. As he looked for a way to climb down the bed, the door suddenly swung open with a loud bang. It scared him and he called for Din, who almost dashed through the hatch two seconds later. Blaster fire came after him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Kid, we need to go!” he yelled and ripped the IV port from his hand. The child looked at him in disbelief. What had happened so suddenly? “It was a trap, they are working for Moff Gideon!” Mando said and grabbed the kid from the bed. He quickly had to admit, they had no choice but to run, since all of Din’s weapons and armor were back at the Razor Crest. “I knew, they couldn’t be trusted.” he mumbled and took a quick look around for anything he could use as a weapon. But he just found a scalpel, which he took nevertheless. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>With the kid firmly pressed on his body, he hid on the wall next to the door. He scanned the surroundings and suddenly Din heard the heavy steps of MD. “Mandalorian, give us the asset and no one get’s hurt.” it said mechanically and stepped through the door. Mando had no other choice but to sneak out of the med bay and run. He had to acknowledge, he was in no condition to fight, because he was still sick and weakened. There was no chance to win a physical combat with only a small scalpel. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The child was so confused. Never before he had misjudged someone’s character so badly. Actually, he liked Marlon and the droid, both were so determined to help Din and they did all they could to care for him. But a sudden scream of Mando ripped him from his thoughts, a Blaster shot had grazed his shoulder and he almost dropped the kid. But he kept running, his lungs already screaming from the sudden stress. Din could hardly breathe, but he had no time to care about that now. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Suddenly, Marlon blocked their way aiming with his blaster at them. “Hand over the kid or I’m gonna kill him, Mando” he said sternly and aimed at the little one. “Step aside, Ugnaught.” Din growled and tightened his grip around the scalpel, but keeping a cautious eye on Marlon’s blaster. The kid squeaked in panic and covered his eyes as he saw a red light bolting from the weapon. Din had no time to dodge the shot, only a split second to pull the kid to safety, so the shot hit him in his stomach. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The scalpel fell to the ground and Mando pressed himself on the wall, grasping his wound, feeling the blood seeping through his fingers and panting heavily. “It’s over, Din Djarin….” the Ugnaught threatened and approached them as the mandalorian slipped to the ground. Marlon bent down to him and pressed the barrel of the Blaster on Din’s heaving chest. “You see? There’s no way you and the child can escape with your life.” he whispered and watched the mandalorian intensely. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Din’s hand fell to his side, noticing the scalpel lying beside him on the ground. Then he took his chance, grabbed it and rammed it into the Ugnaughts ribs. The other grunted in pain and fell to his side. As fast as he could, Mando got on his feet again, but slowly he felt the effects from the blood loss. The kid squeaked at him as he felt the warm, red fluid was soaking through his brown robe as well. “Don’t worry, kid. I gotta get you out of here.” Din gasped out of breath and wavered for a second as dizziness took over him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>They reached the open hangar and the freezing cold instantly made both shiver. “We have no choice, kid.” Din said, grabbed an old cloth from a workbench, tightly wrapping it around the kid’s body. Mando sighed and ran into the snow storm. Only after a few minutes, his body felt numb. He just wore a thin long sleeve shirt and sweatpants, nothing which could protect him from the cold. The kid was shivering too, the only warmth he felt was Din’s blood, which was still oozing from his stomach. The kid wiggled his arm out and pushed his hand on the wound to heal him. But he failed miserably, he was just freezing too much and he squeaked in frustration. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Din was still running, the snow almost up to his knees. He felt his strength was leaving him and dizziness swept over him again. Slowing his pace, he saw he was leaving a trail of blood in the snow. It was so cold, he hardly noticed the pain from the wound anymore, this, the adrenaline rush and the sheer will to protect his child were the only things keeping him on his feet now. The snow storm increased in intensity and Mando barely had a sight. Everything was just white and grey around them. “Kid, I….I don’t know where to go.” the mandalorian had to admit and stopped for a moment, to catch his breath. His lungs were still screaming in pain and every breath felt like a thousand needles piercing the insides of his chest. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It felt like his ribcage grew tighter by the freezing temperatures and Din had to acknowledge that he finally reached a point, where they both probably had no chance to survive. But at all costs, he was determined to make sure the child is safe as long as he could. Suddenly, they heard something approaching them. Red blaster shots filled the air and Mando started running again. Marlon and his droid fired from their speeder, trying to cut off their way. And as much as Din tried to dodge the shots, the last one hit him in his back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He grunted as he landed on his belly, burying the child underneath him. The little one wiggled himself out and watched the Ugnaught and the droid getting off their speeder, slowly approaching them. Bravely, the little one spread his arms, trying to protect Din, but the others just started laughing. “Look at him, ain’t that adorable?” Marlon scoffed, shot at the mandalorian and hit his side. “You can’t shield him from us, little one. Now, come with us and we’ll get you to your new master. Maybe he can teach you to protect someone.” the droid said wryly. If it’d be human, it’d probably laugh at him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The kid didn’t care, he stood his ground, highly concerned about Din’s lack of reaction from the last shot. His body slightly tilted to his side with one hand raised against their enemies and one hand patting Mando’s shoulder. But still no reaction. Tears started to fill the little one’s eyes as the other’s still kept mocking him. With the last will to fight, the kid started to focus, gathering his forces to protect his buir. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Suddenly Marlon grabbed his throat and started choking. “What is it, master?” the droid asked and lowered his blaster. But now that the kid let all his rage and hate flowing into his powers, he choked him so hard and crushed the Ugnaughts neck, so he just limply fell into the snow. “Master!” the droid shouted and took aim of the child again. But before it was able to pull the trigger, his metal neck suddenly bent backwards and it’s cables just ripped. It’s body hitting the snow beside his master.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The kid wavered for a second and propped himself on Din’s body to recover. Now the sudden silence was deafening. Quickly, the little one waddled at Din’s helmet and pulled it off his head. But what he saw made the kid drop to his knees. Din’s eyes were shut tightly, his face had already turned deathly white and his lips were tinted blue. Further he noticed the snow under his belly had turned red. The kid was shaking, he pushed his ear on Mando’s still chest just to realize that there was no heart beat anymore.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Stop, before anyone starts to pull out their pitchforks, this is not the end of the story 😅<br/>Thank you for reading 😄</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The kid broke down in tears and screamed. His buir was dead, he couldn’t save him in the end. Now he was alone in the snowstorm and he pressed himself on Din’s lifeless body, crying his eyes out. Everything around him grew distant and dark. Suddenly he heard a voice. “Kid? Kid open your eyes!” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But he couldn’t, still pressing his hands on his wet eyes, he wept like never before. “Kid, please. Open your eyes….. I’m here.” he heard and instantly cracked his eyes open as he realized, whose voice was calling him. At first, he just saw bright light and the cold turned into comfortable warmth. The little one’s eyes were still burning, but no tears streamed down his face. He felt he was scooped in someone’s arms and after a short moment, he recognized Din was holding him close to his chest. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The little one weakly cooed as he felt the familiar heartbeat and more and more he became more aware of his surroundings. “You’re safe, kid. It was just a nightmare.” Din said softly but slightly worried. The kid wearily looked at Din’s beskar face and leaned back into his arms. “Is he alright?” Marlon asked worriedly and took a closer look. “I don’t know, when I returned from the bathroom, he was just screaming in his sleep. I couldn’t wake him up.” Mando said and looked at his kid’s exhausted face. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He cooed back at him, feeling worn out and tired from the nightmare. Or was there something else? Din took a deep breath and gently rubbed the kid’s belly, the little one had always liked that. “Shhh, it’s okay.” Din soothed him, but suddenly he noticed something was different. Carefully, he cupped the kid’s cheek noticing he was quite feverish. “Oh no…” he mumbled and turned to MD. The kid grabbed Din’s cold fingers when he felt it relieved the heat from his head and snuggled his cheek into Mando’s palm. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He’s got a fever.” Din said and pulled him closer. “Let me take a look at him.” MD said and Mando put the kid on the bed. “Is it possible he got infected by me?” Din asked instantly blaming himself for the kid’s condition. “Unlikely, because it’s no pneumonia. It’s the flu.” the droid said after it med scanned the little one. “But sitting out in the cold clearly wasn’t the smartest idea.” Mando said and sighed. “You had no choice. You would have been lost in the snowstorm. It was the best idea to hide in a cave. It’s not your fault, Mando” the Ugnaught said and put his hand on the mandalorians shoulder.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s Din. My Name is Din Djarin.” he finally said, because he trusted them enough to reveal his name. The Ugnaught and the droid literally saved their lives. “Nice to meet you Din. Does your child also have a name?” Marlon asked and watched Mando tenderly rubbing the kid’s belly again. “No, I never gave him one. I’ve been quested to bring him back to his kind. I never thought of giving him a name.” Din explained but his words had a bitter taste in his mouth. “You really want to give him to someone else? I just know you guys since yesterday and I can clearly point out that this child loves you as his father. You would break his heart if you’d leave him. And it’s obvious you love him too. I would clearly reconsider that task.” Marlon stated, taken aback what Din had told him before. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I know….” Din  promptly replied and a quiet sob could be heard from underneath his helmet. He sighed. “What does he need?” “Well, I’d say plenty of rest, food and warmth would be a start. I recommend you the same, the medication seems to be working but don’t overdo it.” MD said and checked the kid’s temperature. “I’m gonna be with him, care for him, like he did for me.” Din said and scooped the kid in his arms again. He cooed slightly and snuggled his head on Mando’s chest, promptly falling asleep. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>MD prepared a new medication for Din, he needed to inhale through the oxygen mask. Marlon left the room again, so he would be able to remove his helmet to start the treatment. The kid was still asleep, but he started having chills. Din wrapped him into every blanket, he found, but the little one still didn’t seem to get warm. Din sat on the bed, legs crossed with the oxygen mask on his face and his blanket around his shoulders, watching the child intensely. “Is there something else I can do?” he asked the droid, no longer being able to hide the desperation in his voice. “We have a hot spring back in the cave, maybe this will warm him up again.” the droid said and checked the kid’s temperature again, the antipyretic drug, it had given to the child didn’t seem to take effect. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Okay let’s try this.” Din said and got up from the bed, putting his helmet back on. The kid woke up with his cheeks slightly flushed. He was confused about leaving the med bay and squeaked. “Don’t worry, kid. We’re just getting you a nice hot bath.” Mando said and gently stroked the little one’s cheek with his thumb. They walked deeper into the base and it was getting colder again. After a long corridor, they reached a small cave with some hot spring pools. The air was cold and damp here. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Alright, let’s get you in there.” Din said and undressed the kid, who looked at him sceptically. As soon as the little one was naked, he started shivering intensely. “Hold on, the water will make you warm again.” Din said, trying to soothe him. But the kid absolutely didn’t want to get into the water and squeaked loudly when Din put him closer to the hot spring. “Kid, this is going to help you. You have goosebumps all over your body.” he said and tried to pull his arm out of his grasp. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The kid suddenly screamed when his feet touched the warm liquid and Din pulled him back into his arms again. Tightly, the little one grabbed hold on Mando’s shirt so hard, he even scratched his skin underneath. Din sighed loudly and looked at the others. “What about you going with him into the spring? He’s a sick child and probably wants you to be close to him.” Marlon said and looked over to his droid, who approvingly nodded. “Alright, we take our leave now.” Marlon said and left along with MD. Din sighed again, actually he didn’t want to get into the water either, but for the child, he’d do it in a blink of an eye. “Okay, you need to let my shirt go so I can take it off.” he said, but the kid just lowered his ears and looked at him. “I’m coming with you. You don’t have to get in there alone.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally, the child let go of the fabric and Din managed to take it off, followed by the rest of his clothes and his helmet. He shivered as the cold air grazed his naked body. The kid reached his arms after him as soon as he was undressed and Din picked him up, instantly snuggling onto his warm bare skin again. Slowly he put a foot into the water, checking the temperature. It was quite hot, but pleasantly. After Din sat down in the pool, the kid climbed up to his neck, trying to avoid the water. “Kid, it’s just water.” he sighed and leaned back on the stones behind him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cautiously, the kid put one foot into the water, while he almost sat on Din’s shoulder, his arms wrapped around Mando’s neck. Suddenly he noticed, it wasn’t that bad and slipped into the water. He instantly felt his chills were getting easier and leaned back on Din’s skin. The mandalorian himself felt the hot water relaxed the tensed muscles in his chest and back. “That feels nice, huh?” he asked, but suddenly noticed his foundling had fallen asleep again. Mando smiled by the fact, the warm water was actually helping both of them. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the rocks, almost dozing off.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>But Din did not just doze off, he fell into the deepest slumber he had in weeks. The kid awoke, yawning and dazed. He felt a lot better since his chills were gone. His little fuzzy head sunk back onto Mando’s warm, bare chest, curling up in his arms. So they remained there for like two hours. Marlon and MD started to get worried. “Please, do me a favor and check if they’re alright.” the Ugnaught asked and his droid nodded. “Of course.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Din was snoring quietly, the steam and the humidity also relieved his irritated upper respiratory tract, so he could breathe more easily. The kid suddenly jerked awake as he heard the droid approaching them. “Are you alright? You've been here for at least two hours.” it asked the kid, who tilted this head. “You look way better, little one. Less pale.” the droid said and gently laid his metal finger on the kid’s forehead to feel his temperature. “Look, your fever is gone, that’s great.” MD said and the kid smiled at him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>After checking on the child, it turned to Din, who was still fast asleep. “Hey, wake up.” the droid said and tapped on his shoulder. But he didn’t stirr. The kid looked at him, puzzled. “Hey, Din. Wake up.” MD said a little louder and gently squeezed his shoulder. Suddenly, Mando jerked awake so fast, the kid fell off his chest into the water. MD grabbed him quickly, while Din recovered from the shock, he was panting.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you alright?” the droid asked as Mando rubbed his tired eyes. “Yes…” he rasped and turned to MD, who held the kid. “Are you feeling better, little womp rat?” he asked and gave him a worried look. But MD reassured him. “His fever has broken and the chills are gone. I think a night of good sleep and he should be fine.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Din smiled at his foundling and slowly got out of the hot spring. MD fetched him some towels and after they got dressed, they went back to the Med bay. The droid checked Din’s lungs with the stethoscope again. “Sounds pretty good, the meds are working and your lung volume is almost back to normal. A few more days of antibiotics and rest and you should be fine too.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mando sighed and he was relieved from the good news. He actually never was that concerned about himself, but when the child got sick too, he blamed himself for it. After they had dinner and Din a few more meds it was time for bed. Mando felt very groggy from the antibiotics, he removed his helmet and put it on the nightstand. “Looks like we’re almost back on the track again. The next problem will be fixing the ship. Any idea?” he asked the kid, who kelt on his chest. His big dark eyes watching him questioningly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Din sighed and stretched his limbs, the kid mirroring his movements. “Alright, let’s focus on getting well again first.” he chuckled and scratched the kid behind his ears, who cooed at him. The little one yawned and let himself fall back on Mando’s chest, curling up to sleep. “Good night, kid” the mandalorian whispered and wrapped the child and himself into his blanket. They fell asleep within minutes. A few hours later, Din woke up and felt like being suffocated.The little one had wrapped his arms tightly around his neck, his face nuzzled on Din’s cheek. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The mandalorian smiled and cupped the kid’s head as he turned on his side, trying to wiggle out of the baby’s grasp. Suddenly, the little one opened his eyes and looked at him. His big dark eyes were almost piercing him and Din leaned forward and kissed the kids forehead. “You’re my boy, aren’t you? And no matter, what’s going to happen in the future. I’ll always be with you, please never forget that.” Din whispered and the kid’s glance told him, he understood. Suddenly the child whimpered and put his hand on his belly. “Kid, it’s late, no eating in bed.” Mando said, but the kid pointed his finger down further. “Oh, you need to go to the bathroom?” Din asked, the kid nodding comfirmingly. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Slowly, Mando peeled the blanket from him and grabbed his helmet. After he got up, he scooped up the kid and fetched his IV stand. It was quiet in the base, but after they finished their business at the potty, Din noticed someone was in a room next to the med bay. Cautiously, they took a look, but it was just Marlon, sitting at a dining table in the kitchen section. “Can’t sleep?” Din asked and came closer. The Ugnaught looked up, caught off guard by them. “Oh, good evening or more good night. No, I just came here to read an old log.” he said, but Din noticed his sad undertone. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But the mandalorian caught a glimpse at the book, where an old photo was attached to the site. It showed two Ugnaughts Marlon and….. Kuill? Din gasped as he felt a sting in his stomach and the kid gave him a worried look. “Are you okay?” Marlon asked as he heard Din’s gasp. “Yes, yes…. nevermind.” he breathed and sunk down on the chair beside him. Marlon looked down on the picture again and sighed. “This picture was taken shortly after we were freed from slavery, this is me and my brother Kuill.” the Ugnaught explained and showed them the old photo. Din’s hand was shaking as he pulled it closer. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Me and my brother worked hard to get free, he always has been much more of a technician. Always having a screwdriver in his hands. Sadly, I haven’t heard much from him in the last years.” Marlon said and looked at Mando, who struggled to find the right words to tell him, what happened to his brother. “Marlon, I don’t know what to say. I knew him, he was a good friend to me until…..” he mumbled and the Ugnaught raised his brow. “What are you going to tell me, Din?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The mandalorian took a deep breath. “I’m so sorry to tell you that your brother died while he was protecting the little one here. I buried him on Nevarro….” Suddenly, the silence was deafening and Marlon just froze in shock. Mando had no idea what to say at this moment. The Ugnaught looked up at him after a few minutes and big tears were rolling down his eyes.</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Last chapter here 😀 Thank you for all of your support.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Is he really dead?” Marlon asked sadly. Din lowered his head. “Yes… I’m sorry.” <br/>The kid’s ears dropped as his memories popped up in his mind again. He sobbed. “Hey, kid. What is it?” Mando asked as he saw his wet eyes. Slowly, the child waddled towards him, reaching for his hand. As soon as he touched it, Din saw pictures in his mind, but not his memories. He gasped as he realized, the little one was projecting his thoughts on him. The mandalorian froze in shock as he saw the scout troopers shooting at them. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The kid slipped deeper down into his blanket and felt how Kuiil’s grip tightened around him. “Hang on, we’re almost there…” he gasped as he whipped on the blurg. “Coming Kuiil, are you there?” Din heard his own voice from the communicator. Suddenly, something hit the Ugnaught in the back and together with the kid, he fell from the blurg.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Another shot sounded and the big creature, which they were riding on fell lifeless to the ground. Still, Kuiil had wrapped his arms around the child, shielding him from the Troopers shots. One had already hit him and blood streamed down his back. “Come on, we’re gonna make it to the ship. Don’t worry.” he gasped but collapsed to the ground again. “Give us the child.” one of the Troopers demanded and bent over him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ll never let this child fall into the hands of some filthy imp.” Kuiil snapped back and curled over the kid. “I’m asking you one more time. Give us the kid and we’ll let you live.” the trooper said again and grabbed his blaster. “No, only over my dead body.” Kuiil snorted but suddenly another shot pierced his body. “As you wish.” the Trooper said and put his blaster back into his holster. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The kid whimpered as they grabbed him. He looked at Kuiil’s body, lying motionless on the ground as they carried him away. A tear rolled down his face. Din snapped from his thoughts as the memory went black. His heart was pounding painfully. He didn’t know what to say. “What happened, Din?” Marlona asked and grabbed Mando’s arm. “He just showed me his last memory of Kuiil. He just showed me how he died…” Din explained, noticing he was shivering. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The kid lowered his head as Din turned to him. The mandalorian didn’t know why, but he felt what the kid was feeling. It was guilt. “It was not your fault, kid” Mando said promptly and pulled him closer. Marlon looked at him, confused. “He blames himself for his death.” Din explained but as he spoke those words, the kid broke down in tears. Marlon smiled softly and rubbed the kid’s back, who was burying his face on Din’s chest. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You are the last to blame for this.” the Ugnaught said, trying to calm the kid. But he kept weeping, grabbing Mando’s shirt to pull him close. Din hugged him tightly and patted his back. “Hey, kid. You are not responsible for his death. He was trying to protect you. The Imps are those to blame.” he said and the kid looked up. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It was not your fault.” Din repeated and looked at the kid intensely. Gradually, the little one calmed down again. Marlon sighed. “He’s really a compassionate and caring creature. I noticed that, when I saw the way he was trying to care for you. He tried everything to make you feel better, even when you were sleeping.” the Ugnaught concluded and stretched his arms. “Yes…” Din replied and sighed as the kid yawned and cuddled up to him. Marlon took a deep breath. “You said, you buried him on Nevarro?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yes, I found his body as we headed back to the ship.” Mando explained, still rubbing the kid’s back. “I’d really like to pay him a visit…” Marlon said thoughtfully. “When you can help me to fix my ship, I’m gonna get you there. But I’m afraid this will be a lot of work.” Din said, with a sad undertone in his voice. Still he had no idea how they were supposed to leave this icy planet again. “Well, if you can make the engines work, you can fly it here into the hangar. And then we can try fixing it. But I recommend to wait a few more days until your treatment is finished. You won’t risk a setback, do you?” Marlon said and looked at Mando.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, that’s the last thing I want. But your suggestion sounds great. I think I can fix the engines so far, I can bring the ship here.” he said and got up from his chair. It was time to go to sleep again. “Good night,” Din said and left the room. As they returned to their room, he placed the kid on the bed again. Tired, he pulled the helmet from his head and laid down beside the kid. “I’m so sorry you had to witness all of this.” Din whispered and pulled the little one closer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The next few days, Din and the child spent most of the time sleeping, eating and getting well again. On the fourth day, Mando finally received his last dose of antibiotics. MD made a last check up and confirmed that he was almost back to full health again. The mandalorian was happy, not only he was feeling much better, but the kid was happy and healthy again too. On the fifth day, he and Marlon returned to the Razor Crest and worked hard to get the engines fixed again. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Din sat down in the cockpit and started the engines carefully. “Come one, please don’t fail me. You just need to fly a few miles, honey.” he prayed as the whole ship started to vibrate. He gritted his teeth as it finally raised from the ground. “Okay, easy now.” Mando whispered to his damaged ship, as he would try to soothe it. Marlon watched him from the Copilot’s seat. It took them two hours to fly the Razor Crest to the base, but parking it into the hangar was really a task. Din was highly concentrated but in the end, he managed to fit the whole ship in there. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>As the engines shut down, he let out a relieved sigh. “Alright, let’s end this for today and get back tomorrow.” Marlon said as he noticed Din was getting exhausted. “Yes…” he said promptly. As much as he wanted to get this fixed, he had to listen to his body and don’t overdo it. They had a great dinner this evening. Lots of laughing and stories, but they went to bed early to be fit for the next few days. And they were exhausting. Repairing the Razor Crest was really a task but in the end and after three more days, they finally did it. Din was standing in front of it and looked at his ship. It felt like a good old friend was finally back. On the next day, Marlon, MD, he and the kid left the planet and set course to Nevarro. “Do you want to stay here? I have some good friends, who were currently trying to rebuild the town after the Imps destroyed everything.” Din suggested and Marlon looked at MD. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sounds great.” the Ugnaught replied but as soon they came closer to Nevarro, the mood got darker again. Din landed the ship right at that place, where he buried Kuiil. Mando felt an unpleasant stinging in his stomach. The last time he was here, he lost two friends and got badly injured himself. He remembered the pain he felt, when he put all the stones on Kuiil’s grave. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Razor Crest landed on the dusty ground of Nevarro. Din actually could see the pile of stones on the ground from the cockpit. His stomach dropped as he lowered the ramp. Slowly, the group approached it and the closer they got, the more the kid pressed on Din for comfort. “It’s okay, kid. I’m here.” he reassured him. Marlon sobbed as they finally reached the grave. “Rest in peace, brother. I have spoken…..”</p>
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